MEGATRENDS DEFINING TRAVEL IN 2018 - Skift
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MEGATRENDS
DEFINING
TRAVEL IN 2018
Customer-First Innovation &
Approach Technology
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Masthead Skift Magazine / Issue: 08
Founders
Founder & CEO / Rafat Ali
Co-Founder & General Manager Skift Table / Jason Clampet
Table of Contents
President
Carolyn Kremins
Editorial Team 8 A Note From the CEO
Executive Editor / Dennis Schaal
News Editor / Hannah Sampson
10 Travel Brands Want to Be Experience Platforms
Hospitality Editor / Deanna Ting 14 How Hilton Garden Inn Is Going Beyond the Guestroom
Travel Tech Editor / Sean O’Neill
Senior Editor, Restaurants / Kristen Hawley 16 Brands Embrace Diversity and Inclusion Message
Aviation Editor / Brian Sumers Amid Rising Neo-Nationalism
Business Travel Editor / Andrew Sheivachman
European Editor / Patrick Whyte 20 Travel Mergers and Acquisitions Become More Focused on Strategic Innovation
Tourism Reporter / Dan Peltier
24 The Hotel of the Future Needs to Be Everything to Everyone
Assistant Editor / Sarah Enelow
Contributing Writers / Raini Hamdi, Richard Holmes and Steven Schwankert 28 The Big Vision for Augmented Hospitality
Design 30 Personal Fulfillment Is the New Ultimate Luxury
Senior Designer / Ping Chan
32 Blockchain Will Spark a New Type of Technology Race in Travel
Junior Designer / Andrea Yang-Yanez
Contributing Illustrators / Vanessa Branchi, Patricia Mafra, Bett Norris, Melissa McFeeters and Bing Qing Ye 36 European Travelers Return to Once-Disrupted Destinations
Advertising & Sales 38 Airlines Race to Become Storefronts Beyond the Seat
VP of Ad Sales / Anthony DeRico
Director, Business Development / Lisa Weier Parilla 42 New Leaders of Online Travel Agencies Are Already
Sales Director / Danielle Wagstaff Reshaping Their Companies
Executive Sales Director / Deborah Knudsen
Sales Director Europe / Kate Irwin 46 Cities Are Better Navigating the Collision of Their Visitor and Local Economies
Sales Manager Skift Table / Jeremy Vargas 48 Extreme Weather Is Creating Travel Upheaval
SkiftX
52 SkiftX Trend: Mobile Devices Move Beyond Customer Service to Predict
Executive Editor / Greg Oates
Branded Content Director / Katherine Townsend Travelers’ Needs and Solve Problems in Real Time
Branded Content Strategist / Matt Heidkamp 54 Startups Go Direct to Consumers in Battle for Business Travelers
Branded Content Associate / Alison McCarthy
Campaign Manager / Dawn Rzeznikiewicz 56 Google's Product-Led Vision Is Bearing Fruit
Research Editor / Jeremy Kressmann 60 Back-End Travel Tech Gets a Design Renaissance
Skift Research
Research Director / Luke Bujarski
Senior Research Analyst / Rebecca Stone REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Senior Research Analyst / Seth Borko
Research Associate / Meghan Carty 62 Africa Discovers It Needs to Woo Millennials Both at Home and Abroad
Director, Enterprise Sales, Research / Daniel Calabrese
Research Sales Associate / Anne Duffy 64 Ctrip Branches Out But Many Chinese Travel Companies
Marketing Will Be Domestically Focused
Senior Director of Marketing / Natalie Bonacasa
66 Asian Upscale Travelers Are Creating a Luxury Tipping Point
Digital Marketing Manager / Brianne Kennedy
Digital Marketing Manager, Subscription Services / Caitland Conley 68 Latin America Will Take Nation Branding to New Extremes
Techology
Developer / Mike Linden
Developer / Rachel Bronstein
72 SkiftX Trend: The Rise of Customer Centricity Is Delivering Personalization at Scale
Operations
Chief Financial Officer / Michael Cunniff 75 SKIFT TABLE MEGATRENDS
Director of Strategic Operations / Syia Lewis-Doryumu Next-Generation Restaurants Fight the Delivery Boom
Conference and Events Planner / Melissa Jimenez
With Immersive Experiences
Events Editorial Director / Elizabeth Osder
Events Editorial Producer / Joanne Laipson
Project Manager / Amy Thorkilsen
Office Manager / Ali McGhee
Staff Accountant / Ernest Capasso
© 2018 Skift Inc. All Rights Reserved
6 Skift ISBN 978-0-9986958-1-5 Skift 7
The year 2018 follows two years of extreme uncer- The larger issues of immigration — and restrictions
tainty and instability that upended the travel placed on it in various countries and especially in
industry in many ways. the United States — also have a direct impact on
the travel economy, and in 2017 it became clear
Back in September 2016, I wrote a long manifesto as to how and why, as well. That has been the
about how travel was now the geopolitical center biggest rallying issue for the travel companies,
of the world. But little did I realize what was to who in many ways depend on immigrant labor
come a few weeks later with the U.S. presidential for their daily operations. Any restrictions also
election, and the year that followed would make have a chilling effect on overall travel, and we
that manifesto's contention even more true than have seen early evidence of that happening in
it ever has been in the past. the U.S. all through 2017. The trend likely will
continue this year as well.
My manifesto was an aspirational call to the
travel industry, to elevate ourselves in an age of Travel is the most progressive expression of human
constant global and regional turmoil: curiosity. It behooves us to take on more activist
roles on behalf of our right to travel and the future
“A wholesale change in mindset is needed on how of the travel industry. 2017 was the year the travel
travel is structured and marketed, enmeshed and industry began to take on a more activist role,
embedded in all the glorious imperfections of the a new role it is awkwardly embracing. It's also a
planet. The geopolitical realities of our world are new role worth celebrating.
worth embracing by the travel industry, instead
of ignoring them or, worse still, wishing them Please let me know if you have any feedback for
away. And even more so, travelers will reward our work here, or if you would like for us to help
Illustrator: Melissa McFeeters the industry for it by traveling more, by being you and your company understand the larger
more aware of the world and travel’s key place in megatrends affecting your business. Email me
2017: THE YEAR TRAVEL FOUND ITS
it, rather than staying in isolationist bubbles for at ra@skift.com.
people to indulge in when they need an escape
once in awhile.”
LARGER PURPOSE IN THE WORLD The year 2017 has been a seminal year where the
travel industry — especially in North America and
Europe — found its voice and its larger purpose
Our Skift Megatrends annual package is the largest annual editorial
in the world, in a year of upheaval on all possible
effort from the Skift reporting team. These megatrends reflect our work
fronts.
on connecting the dots through Skift's intensive daily and long-term
research coverage of various parts of the travel industry, our hundreds
It has been the year where Skift’s clarion call for
and hundreds of hours of talking directly to the leaders and operators
many years — “Travel is the world’s largest industry;
in the travel industry, and our surveys, interviews, and focus groups
let’s start acting like it” — may have finally become
with travelers throughout the year.
a reality for the sector. Destination marketing
The 2018 Megatrends that Skift is watching in the coming year will be
organizations, mayors, state governors, hotel
CEOs, tour operators, online travel leaders, and
Regards,
about travel’s continued rise and evolution despite extreme manmade and
natural events. Across new frontiers in technology, brands are focusing
many others have realized that sitting out the
political and geopolitical issues of the world is
Rafat Ali
on strategic expansion beyond traditional boundaries; travel’s purpose
is growing with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion; improvements
no longer an option when it comes to attracting Founder and CEO
and retaining travelers. The only sector which has
in back-end tech are driving the business of travel; operators are finding
been relatively silent has been the airline sector,
new ways of bundling in travel while new unbundling continues to
though the reasons for U.S. airlines are clearer:
change how travel gets sold; and innovators are taking new approaches
lobbying against more competition from Gulf
to creating immersive experiences in hospitality in the face of increased
carriers with a “friendly” government.
digitization, among others.
8 Skift Skift 9
TRAVEL
It used to be that airlines simply got you from Th e o n l i n e t rave l a g e n c i e s , w h i c h d i s r u p te d
point A to point B. Hotels offered you a place to t ra d i t i o n a l t rave l a g e n c i e s , we r e t h e f i r s t to
rest your weary head at night. Tour companies empower consumers to take more control over
herded tourists onto buses and drove them around their own travel experiences, letting them book
BRANDS WANT
to see the sights. Cruises gave you a sea-level their own flights and hotels. Gradually, as these
view of the world. Online travel agencies allowed companies began to buy up more businesses,
consumers to begin booking their own flights from restaurant reservations systems to tours-and-
and hotel accommodations. activities platforms, they became the precursors
TO BECOME
to the experience platform model that nearly
B u t a l l of t h a t i s , b i t by b i t , c h a n g i n g to d ay. all travel brands now aspire to have. Today, on
While it’s still very true that, fundamentally, hotel Priceline or Expedia or Ctrip or even TripAdvisor,
companies run hotels and airline companies run a consumer can book almost every facet of his
airlines, it’s also become increasingly clear that or her travel journey.
EXPERIENCE
more travel brands want to expand beyond what
they’re known for doing in travel and into new However, those companies still have some distance
segments of travelers’ experiences. to cover in owning ever y facet of the traveler
experience, and other brands are catching on as
PLATFORMS
This erosion of traditional silos in travel is trans- they seek to become the new channels by which
f o r m i n g t rav e l b ra n d s i n t o t r u e ex p e r i e n ce we not only book our travel, but how we actually
platforms, or channels through which we, the experience it too.
travelers, can have our vacation and business
trip experiences shaped and guided not by a Take Airbnb, for instance. When the company
multitude of companies, but by just a handful announced in November 2016 that it was launching
— and soon, maybe only one. its own tours and activities division, called Airbnb
SKIFT TAKE
If we received a penny for every time a travel
industry executive talked about how consumers
are looking for “experiences,” we’d be billionaires
by now. But in all seriousness, there’s a definitive
strategy behind travel brands’ desires to play an
even bigger role in travelers’ experiences.
Writer: Deanna Ting Illustrator: Bing Qing Ye
Presented by
10 Skift Skift 11
Email
Trips, it was a clear signal of a larger objective: I n a d d i t i o n to ow n i n g t h e t rave l ex p e r i e n ce forum@skift.com
to not only be a platform where you can pick by being the conduit for travelers to have for questions and
a p l a ce to s t ay b u t a l s o w h e r e yo u ca n b o o k their experiences, brands are also concerning
sponsorship info
in-destination experiences, access curated desti- themselves with trying to solve the multitude
nation content, and eventually even find flights, of friction points and challenges that still take
restaurants, on-demand transportation services, place in travel.
and much more. Earlier this year, CEO Brian Chesky
said that by 2020, he expects more than half of Cruise operators, including Carnival Corp. and
Airbnb’s revenue to come from businesses that Royal Caribbean Cruises, are building out their
the company currently isn’t operating in. technology to better personalize cruisers’
experiences and make them more meaningful
Simply put, Airbnb wants to position itself as the and frictionless.
only brand a consumer would ever need, for every
part of his or her journey, whether on the road or Marcie Merriman, an executive director at profes-
not. And it isn’t alone in that pursuit. sional services and accounting firm EY covering
brand strategy and retail innovation, said: “A lot
It’s another reason why global hotel companies of different companies, from cruises to theme
like Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, parks, are doing in-depth analysis around those
and AccorHotels are trying to expand beyond what friction points and trying to hack away at reducing
they’ve always been known for — and no doubt those. It’s not just about getting consumers to
trying to develop more direct relationships with book a cruise or go to a theme park — they’re
their customers by encouraging them to book building on that with great experiences.”
direct and bypass the Expedias and Pricelines
of the world. That’s really where all companies are headed, too,
as they aspire to be true experience platforms.
Earlier this year, Marriott invested in PlacePass, a In addition to being intermediaries, they want
metasearch platform for tours and activities. Hyatt to be channels through which you not only have
scrapped its old loyalty program and debuted a good travel experience, but a truly great one.
a new one entirely focused on the concept of And they’re doing that by curating content, and
ex p e r i e n ce s , a cq u i r i n g we l l n e s s b ra n d s a n d harnessing big data and artificial intelligence
investing in alternative accommodations along to personalize the experience and make it that
the way. AccorHotels is using its properties to
n o t o n l y s e r ve t rave l e r s b u t l o ca l s , to o , w i t h
much faster, better, and smarter. SEPTEMBER 27-28, 2018
NEW YORK CITY
hyper-local services, all in an effort to keep the
brand ever-present in the minds of consumers,
whether or not they are traveling.
Airlines are also trying to play a larger role in the
overall travel experiences of their passengers.
Take SAS Airlines, which created the SAS Dreams
p r o g ra m . A s p a r t of t h e p r o g ra m , t h e a i r l i n e
invited some of its most loyal frequent flyers to
accompany the airline’s head chef on a five-day
trip to Japan. And Southwest Airlines recently
announced a plan to bring more surprise in-flight
concerts to the skies.
For more information visit
forum.skift.com/newyork
12 Skift Skift 13
Partner Content SkiftX: Can you talk more about the SkiftX: What does the future hold for Hilton Garden
enhanced focus on local in the food and Inn’s hospitality experience?
beverage experience you’re offering?
Greenleaf: We’re taking an increasingly flexible
HOW HILTON GARDEN INN IS GOING Greenleaf: We ’ve pla ce d a fo cus o n
local to give people an opportunity to
approach to our guest offerings and will continue
to make adjustments to meet travelers’ needs. We
BEYOND THE GUESTROOM
have a tailored, unique, and authentic believe that as we increase the flexibility and adapt
experience that puts a smile on their to changing needs — while maintaining our core
face. We’ve developed individualized attributes — we’ll become increasingly attractive
menu items for all 50 states in the U.S. to different owners around the world.
There’s also a requirement that a certain
SKIFT TAKE percentage of items offered in our retail
space come from local markets.
Travelers today expect the hotels they choose to offer more than just a room
SkiftX: How do you balance in-person
to sleep in. We discuss how Hilton Garden Inn is looking to play a bigger role guest interactions as technology plays
in travelers’ experiences and more with John Greenleaf, global head of Hilton a larger role in how we travel?
Garden Inn.
Greenleaf: As a brand, we’re focused on
Writer: Alison McCarthy using technology to advance the guest
experience we offer versus replacing
g u e s t i n t e ra c t i o n s . We e n s u r e o u r
Team Members are well-versed in the
To d ay ’ s t rav e l b ra n d s a r e t h i n k i n g S k i f t X : H ow i s H i l to n G a r d e n I n n ’ s r eva m p e d technology, but never miss an oppor-
about the experiences they’re offering expe r i e n ce a d d r e s s i n g th e evo l v i n g n e e d s of tunity for a personal interaction.
customers in a much broader, more travelers today? John Greenleaf,
expansive way than they have in the Global Head,
past. In the case of hotels, many brands John Greenleaf: Traveler needs have evolved in so Hilton Garden Inn
a r e g o i n g b eyo n d s i m p l y p r ov i d i n g many different ways, but we focused on three key
travelers with a place to sleep. Instead, areas in the experience we offer: design, food and
they’re looking to expand their offerings beverage, and guest service. We’ve customized our
into other facets of the travel journey experience by introducing six new design prototypes,
to accommodate the needs of modern var ying by the location. We’ve also completely
travelers and become all-encompassing revamped our already award-winning food and
experience platforms. beverage menus and are updating our 24-hour retail
space to offer travelers fresh food, gourmet coffee,
Hilton Garden Inn recently updated its and regionally specific merchandise. Additionally,
hospitality experience to reach beyond we’ve enhanced our Team Member culture globally
the guest room, make travelers’ stays to offer an even more guest-centric experience.
more meaningful, and reduce traveler
friction. SkiftX spoke with John Greenleaf, SkiftX: Why do you think hotels have put more focus
global head of Hilton Garden Inn, to learn on offerings beyond the guest room in recent years?
more about the company’s approach
to its updated hospitality experience, Greenleaf: It goes back to the changing needs of
why they made these enhancements, travelers and increased time constraints, both for
and how this fits into the way today’s leisure and business travelers. Our goal is to offer a
travel brands are shifting their focus welcoming, functional, and flexible environment that
to play an even bigger role in travelers’ can be used for any number of purposes, whether
experiences. that means sitting down for a cocktail, getting work
done, holding a meeting, or eating a made-to-order
breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack.
14 Skift Skift 15
SKIFT TAKE
Travel brands no longer get political at their own risk — they avoid politics at their
own risk. With so much at stake in the Trump era, remaining on the sidelines about
multicultural acceptance isn’t an option.
Writer: Sarah Enelow Illustrator: Bett Norris
Presented by
BRANDS EMBRACE DIVERSITY Things were never quite the same after President
Donald Trump’s first travel ban, decried by civil
CEO of Expedia and is now Uber’s CEO, is himself
an immigrant from Iran, which was included in
AND INCLUSION MESSAGE liberties groups as a discriminatory Muslim ban.
Three travel bans in, companies are finding that
speaking out about multicultural acceptance,
all three versions of the ban.
In an interview backstage at Skift Global Forum
AMID RISING NEO-NATIONALISM diversity, and inclusion isn’t a risky move, or even
the new normal — it’s the new mandatory.
in September, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian
discussed the uncertainty that reigned in 2017.
In such a polarized environment, brands can’t “The political rhetoric was not good; it was very
afford to support the travel ban, border wall, or divisive,” he said. “You had a lot of nationalists, not
other isolationist ideas, all of which make travel just in the U.S., but Brexit and other parts of the
harder and hurt bottom lines. Arguably, brands world as well. There was a lot of fear regarding
ca n ’ t eve n a f fo r d to r e m a i n n e u t ra l w h e n s o the ability to bring people together or is it safe
much is at stake, which is turning executives into to travel.”
activists of multicultural acceptance.
President Trump’s ability to torpedo the U.S.
The first travel ban elicited widespread condem- tourism industry makes it easier for U.S.-based
nations from those targeted by the order and travel leaders to speak out, but similar factors are
other people of color, both within the travel not at work in the European Union. Before the
community and outside it. But what was more June 2016 Brexit vote, airlines and tour operators
unusual were condemnations from the CEOs of were mostly united in pushing for a “remain”
Expedia, TripAdvisor, and other huge corporations vote, but with the UK now set to leave, travel
— even those that are usually too risk-averse to executives seem quietly accepting.
get political. Dara Khosrowshahi, who was then
16 Skift Skift 17
IT TOOK
Michael O’Lear y, the outspoken boss of Irish “It just got to the point where we had to get
low-cost carrier Ryanair, is an exception. While involved,” said Kluge. “I have to stop what my job
not criticizing the Brexit decision, he frequently is and get involved politically….We can’t allow a
3 WEEKS
lambasts politicians for their lack of action. In few idiots to ruin an industry.”
addition, some in the EU hospitality industr y
voice concerns that resurgent nationalism may When asked whether the proposed bill impacted
BEFORE
mean fewer EU migrants staying in the country, visitation, Kluge said: “I think we’re fine because
which would devastate hotels and restaurants. they didn’t pass it. But we had threats. The Final
Four and the Super Bowl, they will not come to
DECIDING
For all the talk of rising nationalism across the a state that has this.”
EU, there was no big breakthrough politically for
the far right in 2017. In France, centrist Emmanuel Politics intersected with leisure travel in New
TO APPLY.
Macron comfortably beat the National Front’s Orleans when the city removed four Confederate
Marine Le Pen. German federal elections were monuments and Mayor Mitch Landrieu made a
less conclusive, with Chancellor Angela Merkel speech about welcoming people of color. Even
still hoping to stay in power in a new coalition
government, but the big unresolved challenge
remains Brexit and the future shape of the EU
as fights over the fate of such statues persist
throughout the South, some smaller destinations
such as Biloxi, Mississippi started to remove these
3 YEARS
without the UK. symbols in an effort to make residents and tourists
more comfortable.
LATER SHE
WON TOUR
Social issues have also occasionally prompted
travel executives outside the U.S. to speak up. Diversity and inclusion concerns are heating up
Alan Joyce, CEO of Australian airline Qantas, internally in boardrooms as companies are forced
LEADER OF
took time during one of the company’s earnings to look inward. Travis Kalanick, former CEO of
calls to support the legalization of same-sex Uber, was not only ousted due to allegations of
marriage, and urged others to do the same. It harassment and discrimination, but the company
THE YEAR.
was a rare but courageous decision, and recently, strains to distance itself from his toxic image.
lawmakers voted to legalize same-sex marriage
in the country. If travel brands are to keep up with the diverse
world we live in, they must move past hitting
B a c k i n t h e U n i te d S t a te s , u n u s u a l l y s t r o n g
messages appear more and more frequently in
diversity quotas to actual inclusion, listening to
these new voices and fully incorporating them SANA, 29
marketing campaigns. Expedia ran an anti-border
wall video, Airbnb ran a Super Bowl ad promoting
into decision-making processes.
TOUR LEADER
INTREPID TRAVEL
multicultural acceptance, Hyatt did the same Europe Editor Patrick Whyte contributed to this report.
around the Academy Awards, and the Los
Angeles tourism board created their “Everyone
Is Welcome” campaign.
In 2020, Intrepid Travel will double its number
As discriminatory “bathroom bills” drove away
m e e t i n g s a n d eve n t s i n N o r t h C a r o l i n a , t h e of female tour leaders globally. Intrepid is
president and CEO of Visit Dallas announced committed to creating an environment that
the “Texas Welcomes All” campaign at the state
encourages people of all ages, physical abilities,
capitol to protest the state’s proposed bathroom
bill and protect those business interests. Paulette cultures, races, religions, sexual orientation and
Kluge, CEO of the Corpus Christi Convention genders to have the same opportunities.
and Visitors Bureau, said she participated in the
campaign and that travel brands are feeling the
pressure to get political.
intrepidtravel.com
18 Skift Skift 19TRAVEL MERGERS
to tap into and rapidly deploy innovative products Deals like Accor’s only work if the companies do
and services that delight their customers while more than just write checks, though.
maintaining focus on their core competencies.”
AND ACQUISITIONS
“A danger that corporate venture capital faces is
To be sure, there are still plenty of traditional a temptation to invest in the next bright shiny
mergers and acquisitions. A case in point: In object without setting up methodical ways of
BECOME MORE
2017, Accor acquired Mantra, an Australia-based internalizing the insights,” said Katherine Grass,
hotel operator, to help the French global giant head of innovation and ventures at Madrid-based
consolidate its market share in Asia Pacific. travel technology company Amadeus.
FOCUSED ON But Accor also ventured into a strategic acqui-
sition, attempting to expand beyond its core
competency of lodging. In October 2017, Accor
“In the past few years, we at Amadeus have gotten
better at instituting processes to make sure our
strategy is aligned with key innovations,” Grass
STRATEGIC
acquired Gekko Group, owner of hotel booking said. “We’ve narrowed our interests to a half-dozen
sites that serve 14,000 travel agencies — repre- of the most salient themes. We’re also engaging
senting a departure into travel management. with entrepreneurs more routinely, such as by
INNOVATION
sorting out collaborations with startups hoping to
E a r l i e r i n t h e y e a r , Ac c o r m a d e a m i n o r i t y use our APIs [application programming interfaces,
investment in events catering company Potel & or ways of exchanging data].”
Chabot, which runs food service at the French
Open tennis tournament and the 24 Hours of Le Online travel agencies are in on the trend too. In
SKIFT TAKE
Mans car race. The deal aimed to inject expertise in 2017, Booking.com developed its own mergers
creating tailor-made food and beverage offerings and acquisitions practice rather than rely on
The smartest travel companies are beginning at high-end meetings and events hosted at its parent company Priceline Group’s team, with a
to buy startups that may not be central to properties. goal of getting closer to the startups themselves.
their main businesses or help them consolidate
market share, but could boost the innovation
metabolism of their motherships.
Writer: Sean O’Neill Illustrator: Patricia Mafra
When travel companies go shopping, they often have
market consolidation in mind. But lately, some businesses
have been using acquisitions and equity investments as
a strategic learning opportunity.
Often the additional goal now is to try to cross-pollinate
a startup's culture and innovations with the operations
and thinking at corporate headquarters.
“I'm seeing travel companies increasingly get creative
with strategic investments in emerging technology,”
said Jen Ford, chief financial officer of vacation rental
property management tech startup TurnKey and a former
key mergers and acquisitions negotiator for HomeAway.
“They’re creating dedicated venture capital funds that
are designed to create deep partnerships with private
companies. This approach allows the investing companies
20 Skift Skift 21NEW SKIFT
It bought and absorbed its first company, Evature,
which was an Israeli company specializing in
artificial intelligence, or AI, that powers chatbots.
Booking.com CEO Gillian Tans is expecting her
MERGERS AND
TRAVEL APP
team to look closely at artificial intelligence-based
ACQUISITIONS ARE
innovations. “Today a lot of interfaces for booking
require a lot of clicking and typing,” said Tans,
while speaking in November at Web Summit, a
technology conference in Lisbon. Natural language BECOMING MORE
search and chatbots powered by artificial intel- SKIFT RESEARCH AND
ligence can make booking interfaces easier to
use, she said.
STRATEGIC BECAUSE NEWS ON THE GO
Artificial intelligence can help in other areas, too, LARGE COMPANIES ARE
Tans said. “If you think about it, the two questions
customers struggle with today are ‘Where am I
going to go on vacation?’ and ‘What am I going to
TRYING TO HEAD OFF
do once I’m there?’ and AI technology can really
solve these two questions in a much better way
THE THREAT OF BEING
than we have today.”
OVERTAKEN BY NIMBLE
STARTUPS.
S o ex p e c t B o o k i n g . c o m t o c o n s i d e r c l o s e r
relationships with startups that have specialized
ex p e r t i s e i n a r t i f i c i a l i n t e l l i g e n ce , m a c h i n e
learning, and related technologies.
Trivago, for its part, created a subsidiary in 2017
focused on growing business-to-business services
for hoteliers and other suppliers. It also acquired
a technology vendor that specializes in analyzing
data to identify the desires of its customers and
become more sophisticated at proposing relevant, startup may often fill a gap others have left open,
customized offers. Trivago’s business-to-business and then use it as a foothold for a later land grab.
push differs from its core hotel-search business.
L o o k i n g a h e a d i n 2 0 1 8 , we ca n ex p e c t m o r e
Meanwhile, the largest hotel enterprise software creativity in how companies buy and invest.
company in China, Shiji, acquired ReviewPro,
a Barcelona-based company that gives hotels “I see the rise of a trend within this corporate
actionable analytics on guests for sales, marketing, i nve s t i n g t r e n d , w h e r e t rave l co m p a n i e s a r e
and revenue management — ser vices that the partnering with or launching an accelerator for
parent company hasn’t offered on its own. startups whose products are of strategic relevance
to the company, such as JetBlue Technology
What's driving the trend in mergers and acquisitions Ventures and Booking.com Booster,” said Ford
becoming more strategic? Large companies are of TurnKey. In the past four years, the number
trying to head off the threat of being overtaken of such accelerators and incubators for travel
by nimble startups. specifically has risen from three to 16.
Complacency often lulls established players into “Accelerators give companies significant influence
thinking it is trivial to create a layer of products or while assuming less risk than investing directly Available in
services above or below their core competency. A in a developing company,” Ford said.
22 Skift Skift 23THE HOTEL OF
Today, hotels have become converging points inside the hotel so that they’re almost one and
for co-living and co-working; living, breathing the same. You see this especially in hotels that
showrooms for retail brands; and in some instances, are opening up their lobbies to serve as informal
THE FUTURE NEEDS
immersive entertainment centers all their own. co - wo r k i n g s p a ce s , o r t h o s e t h a t a r e a d d i n g
They’re also becoming more fluid, flexible, and formal co-working spaces of their own. They’re
adaptable spaces. often a seamless extension of the lobby or main
bar area — a place where everyone is encouraged
TO BE EVERYTHING
“As lines become more fluid and you can use to gather, commune, or “be alone together,” as
spaces more fluidly, there are new ways for hotels the saying goes.
and developers to compete and new ways to use
their space to pull individuals in and develop new Not only that, but hotels also increasingly want
TO EVERYONE
business models off of that,” said Marcie Merriman, guests to really feel like they “live there,” even if
executive director and brand strategy and retail it’s only for a few days. In some instances, the lines
innovation leader at EY, the global professional between purely residential and purely travel are
services and accounting firm. becoming more blurred than ever. This includes
Z o k u A m s te r d a m , w h i c h i s h o m e to a m i x o f
SKIFT TAKE Co-Everything long-term guests or residents, extended-stay guests,
and short-stay guests. Another example: Airbnb’s
new branded apartment building, in which tenants
Think of this as mixed-use 2.0. As consumer demands and mobile In late 2016, Skift wrote that “the tenets of
are encouraged and incentivized to rent out their
‘co-living’ — that emphasis on collaboration and
technology evolve, hoteliers are becoming smarter about designing community — will permeate much of the hotel units on Airbnb to ensure the property has a mix
their spaces to accommodate our multitasking lives. guest experience in 2017.” It has, and it’s something of both travelers and long-term residents.
that will continue into 2018 and beyond.
Hotel as Interactive Showroom
Writer: Deanna Ting Illustrator: Bett Norris
Whereas mixed-use 1.0 would have commercial
offices in the same building as a hotel, but located The concept of hotel retail is no longer being
on different floors and largely separated from l i m i te d to t h e h o te l s h o p . Th e s u r g e of r e t a i l
the hotel itself, mixed-use 2.0 brings the office brands entering the hospitality market are not
Presented by
At this point, the rise of Airbnb and alternative accommodations has loomed
over the hotel industry for nearly a decade and despite the impending threat,
the global hotel industry continues to thrive.
But hotels are finally beginning to understand consumers’ growing desires for
alternative lodgings — and why they sometimes choose to stay at someone’s
apartment instead of in a hotel, whether for the value or for the experience of
living like a local. It’s really a difference of experience and, in response, hotels
are beginning to double down on the things they already have, the experiences
that the Airbnb down the street can’t always easily deliver.
The biggest advantage hotels have today is the ability to deliver a true sense
of community: to be the gathering place for locals and guests alike. And more
often than not, hotels are delivering that sense of community through mixed-use
projects, or spaces that enhance the way we live our daily lives.
While the idea of mixed-use hotel concepts has been around for some time,
those projects are increasingly blurring the lines between traditional residential,
commercial, retail, and hospitality.
24 Skift Skift 25like the ones that preceded them. It used to be Fluidity of Spaces
that only high-end luxury designer brands like
Versace, Fendi, and Ferragamo dared to enter Over time, hotels have evolved to serve a multitude
the hotel market. of purposes: sleeping, eating, drinking, socializing,
entertaining, and learning, among them. However,
But today, we’re seeing retail brands like West what’s changed today is that hoteliers are realizing
Elm, Restoration Hardware, Muji, and Shinola that the spaces that they are creating can’t just
opening their own branded hotels. And in doing be designed for those specific needs in particular
so, they’re transforming entire hotels into more spaces. Guest rooms are no longer just for sleeping.
accessible, interactive showrooms for their brands, Bars, lobbies, and restaurants aren’t just for eating
and the lifestyles they promise to deliver to guests. and drinking or socializing or entertaining.
Some brands are also experimenting with new All of the spaces in a hotel need to be able to
ways of delivering retail experiences. At the Four t ra n s i t i o n f r o m o n e s o r t o f n e e d to t h e n ex t ,
Seasons Resort Orlando, guests can send a message seamlessly and without any friction whatsoever.
through the Four Seasons app to request their They need to be flexible and adaptable. One of the
own hand-selected outfits be delivered straight primary reasons for this is because of technology;
to their room. It’s on-demand fashion retail in a the ubiquity of mobile technology has made it that
hospitality setting. much easier for us to multitask as never before.
Next-Level Immersion as Architecture firm Gensler charted this phenomenon
Entertainment
in a recent report. The Gensler Experience Index
noted how “single-use spaces are becoming obsolete” We imagine
your future
and “traditional uses of spaces are blurring.”
For proof of the existence of the mega-resort/
entertainment complex, one need only look to The survey of 4,000 people identified five different
Las Vegas for some prime examples. But going
forward, expect to see hotels that aspire to deliver
“experience modes”: task, social, discovery, enter-
tainment, and aspiration. Responses showed the WE ENSURE
YOUR SUCCESS
truly immersive experiences, like the upcoming best spaces are those that can cater to many — or
Star Wars hotel that Disney is building in Orlando. all — of those modes at a single time. The best
design is design that isn’t just beautiful or novel,
Another example already in operation is the but also authentic, clear, inspiring, and welcoming. IN THE NETWORK IN THE PIPELINE
Legoland Hotel, as HVS president and CEO
Stephen Rushmore Jr. told Skift in June: “When In short, for the hotel of the future to stand out
4,195 HOTELS 910 HOTELS
you go in the hotel, you feel like you're in a Lego from the rest, it needs to deliver a truly differen- 587,000+ ROOMS 167,000+ ROOMS
movie. It's like a whole Lego world, and you're tiated experience, and one of the primary ways for
totally immersed in a Lego ecosystem. You forget hoteliers to do that is through exceptional design. AccorHotels has developed a unique
that you're in a hotel. The experience is just so It’s about taking the concept of “mixed use” to know-how in boosting hotel’s
dramatically different. In so many hotels you feel another level, to create spaces that encompass a
like you're in a hotel or you're in someone's house.
performance.
multitude of experiences and needs beyond our
ACCORHOTELS SA – RCS PARIS B 602 036 444 – PHOTO © FAIRMONT
This takes you to another place.… It's that type of traditional concepts of what constitutes accommo- Discover our powerful brands,
experience where you go in and you totally forget dations, retail, lifestyle, work, and entertainment. our performing services and
where you are, your sense of where you are.” development contacts on
accorhotels.group/hoteldevelopment
Rushmore added: “Sometimes people just want
to escape. They just want to escape from reality.
2018 OPENING - FAIRMONT CENTURY PLAZA LOS ANGELES / 394 ROOMS
There's no question there's a market for that,
but so few hotels really go out and go take the
experience that far.”
26 Skift Skift 27Partner Content pillars of our digital factory. In combination, they It’s all about proximity, instant gratification, and
provide independent hotels with a wide range the feeling of belonging to a community.
of best-in-class software and digital solutions to
help them increase their direct sales. SkiftX: How is AccorHotels competing with the
THE BIG VISION FOR This represents Augmented Hospitality: a tradi-
sharing economy?
AUGMENTED HOSPITALITY
tional business that retains people and exceptional Bailly: We don’t see the sharing economy actors
service at its core but is powered by all the new as competitors. They brought about a more client-
levers of the digital era. centric culture that, as an industr y, hoteliers
had a bit dismissed, focused as we were on our
SKIFT TAKE SkiftX: What is your strategy to improve the products, brands, and concepts. We’ve put all our
lives of citizens (as opposed to guests)? efforts into transforming our model to ensure it
As hospitality brands rethink their service is now fully customer-centric. Among numerous
Bailly: With the advent of purely digital business Acco r H o t e l s ’ i n i t i a t i ve s t h a t s e e k t o m a t c h
offerings beyond the overnight guest
models and consolidation by global players, clients’ new expectations, the millennial-minded
experience, the hotel of the future has a bigger customers are increasingly embracing more local, brand Jo&Joe, our private rental offer through
role to fill as a community hub and everyday conscious consuming habits. However, the time Onefinestay, and the enriched loyalty program
problem solver for locals. constraints of busy people in combination with Le Club AccorHotels through its Elite experiences
the lack of a personal touch in online purchase support both key notions of personalization and
and delivery do not easily allow for trust-based, experiential accommodation. We firmly believe
Writer: Matt Heidkamp
local relationships. that our “caring economy,” by which we mean
the guest-centric ser vice we provide through
Hotel brands are re-envisioning the way they're Skif tX: What’s the idea behind “Augmented This is where we see an opportunity for our 4,200+ our teams, brands, and offers, is something that
being thought of and utilized. Beyond providing Hospitality” and where does AccorHotel’s digital hotels which are open 24/7 and our 250,000+ differentiates us from many competitors.
accommodations for travelers, hotels are striving transformation fit that notion? employees with unrivaled know-how to play a
to become essential to the ever yday lives of central role as daily service providers. SkiftX: How does the Internet of Things and
locals in the communities in which they reside. Maud Bailly: The notion of “Augmented Hospitality” the ubiquity of mobile technology play into
Need a safe place to deliver a package, drop off is closely linked to our three-vertical pillar strategy: We firmly believe that the perception of hotels as the idea of Augmented Hospitality?
dry cleaning, or grab a coffee before work? Your travel, accommodation and catering – consistent places for travelers only is outdated and that time
local hotel’s got you covered. with our historical business; additional services that has come for hotels to fully take up their role as Bailly: It does to the extent that it opens up a
improve a guest’s experience while positioning us as central hubs providing everyday services to the range of services that go well beyond the hotel
Acco r H o te l s h a s r e s h a p e d i t s co r e b u s i n e s s a provider of services other than accommodations; many as open places in the very heart of cities. stay. Since October, in France, the AccorHotels
around the idea of "Augmented Hospitality" — local services, such as those we are able to provide app is among the first available on the Actions
a refined vision for what a hotel stands for and with the acquisition of John Paul and the creation This has begun with the launch of AccorLocal, of Google platform. Clients can therefore interact
the ser vices it can provide to a community of of AccorLocal. which provides the opportunity for neighboring with Phil, our chatbot, on the available facilities
customers made up of guests and locals alike. communities to use their local craftspeople and such as parking spaces or meeting rooms, as
These have a clear ambition to make our hotels businesses’ services within their hotels and outside well as finding practical information about the
The Paris-based brand has undertaken a dramatic real “life companions” which deliver a range of the normal opening hours of these businesses. selected hotel such as opening hours or location,
transformation over the past two years, acquiring daily ser vices to all the people living in their Hotels can also open up their services such as the using Google Assistant through smartphones,
new businesses and launching services to increase neighborhood. spa, gym, or co-working spaces to non-residents. Google Home, or any compatible device.
interactions with its customer base. Most notable
is the launch of the AccorLocal mobile app, All initiatives we have undertaken through our In the near future, our digital personal assistant
which, according to CEO Sebastien Bazin, has digital transformation are central to achieving Phil will assist clients in all other aspects of their
the aim of “becoming the daily life enhancer for our ambitions in these verticals. Digital is critical journey including check-in, transportation, and
our guests, during holidays, business travel, or to our core business since it is our key enabler. restaurant bookings. Phil will therefore give our
even when you’re at home — anything you might clients more time to fully enjoy their experience
need in your daily life.” As a service provider, our mission is to increase in our hotels, as they will be freed from the
h o te l s ’ v i s i b i l i t y , h e l p t h e m s t r e n g t h e n t h e i r constraints that come with any normal trip.
SkiftX spoke with Maud Bailly, who joined Accor- relationship with customers and provide the That is how we see digital: a tool for enabling
Hotels as chief digital officer in 2017, to better hotels with efficient and robust distribution, but Maud Bailly, exceptional service to our customers.
understand the brand’s evolved positioning, also the best tools to run their business. Digital Chief Digital Officer,
and to get a better sense for how Augmented is even more at the core of the second vertical AccorHotels
Hospitality will take shape. w i t h F a s t b o o k i n g a n d Av a i l p r o f o r m i n g t wo
28 Skift Skift 29PERSONAL
Luxury travelers are increasingly traveling with among others. With guests bidding upwards
intention, motivated by the internal journey that of 300,000 points for each master class, these
accompanies these types of personally relevant experiences provide the personal transformation
FULFILLMENT
physical experiences. luxury travelers now crave, while maintaining the
exclusivity they continue to desire.
With such a specific journey in mind, luxur y
IS THE NEW
travelers are looking to brands to help them find Large brands are not the only players looking to
the experiences that will lead to their fulfillment. entice luxury travelers in search of transformation.
Travel brands that want to appeal to the luxury Boutique travel companies are also getting on
segment must prove themselves to be under- board. From high-end yoga retreats and luxury
ULTIMATE LUXURY standing of this goal. They can only set themselves
apart from the experience-saturated market by
clearly portraying the transformational, self-ac-
tualizing value they can provide or facilitate. In
"glamping" experiences in remote wilderness
settings, luxur y travelers are being presented
with increasingly personalized travel experiences
created with the sole aim of guiding them on
SKIFT TAKE return, the brand’s connection with this journey their journey toward personal fulfillment.
is likely to facilitate meaningful customer loyalty.
For luxury travelers, an experience in itself is no longer enough. As with any quickly adopted trend, this one also
Marriott is one such brand that has taken action runs the risk of being exploited by brands that
The personal fulfillment and self improvement one gains from
to appeal to travelers motivated by personal use transformative-travel language, but don’t
an experience are taking precedence, and luxury brands can fulfillment. The hotel company has started to actually provide the life-changing experiences
help travelers reach this goal. offer high-end, self-improvement activities as luxury travelers are after. Only those that truly
part of its loyalty program at some of its luxury embrace the meaning of the trend and commit
brand locations. Guests can bid rewards points to helping customers on this personal journey
Writer: Meghan Carty
for master classes like private basketball training will see the payoff by attracting and meaningfully
Illustrator: Vanessa Branchi with Dwyane Wade, a golf clinic with Annika connecting with luxury travelers.
Sörenstam, and a cooking lesson with Eric Ripert,
Luxur y is an ever-evolving concept, with a This evolution is part of the wider shif t from
definition that changes as rapidly as the values the Experience Economy to the Transformation
of consumers and the world they live in. Luxury Economy, where the product that is purchased is
travel is no exception. Travelers today live in a not an experience, but rather the improved self
world that is increasingly connected, tumultuous, that results from it. Stemming from consumers’
and fast-paced, with stimuli and worries coming desire to move up Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs,
from all angles. With the bombardment of news luxury has moved beyond the second tier of the
of global unrest, terrorism, climate change, and hierarchy, “esteem,” to the inward-looking, highest
other instabilities, along with the superficiality tier of “self-actualization.”
of hyperconnectivity and social media relations,
luxur y travelers are looking for ways to escape This new level of luxury is entirely personal and
these realities and reprioritize what matters to contextual. What constitutes a transformative
them on a personal level. travel experience can only be defined by each
individual traveler based on their own personal
Just last year we w rote about the continued values, passions, and aspirations at a particular
importance of memorable, bespoke experiences moment in time.
in luxury travel, but as ever, we are witnessing an
evolution. Experiential travel is still desired, but “ Tra n s fo r m a t i ve t rave l e n co m p a s s e s a b r o a d
it has spread so widely in the travel ecosystem, s p e c t r u m o f ex p e r i e n ce s , w h e t h e r t h a t m ay
it is now readily available to travelers outside of be learning a new skill to having a meaningful
the luxury category, thereby losing its exclusive conversation with an artisan in his or her studio
edge. To compensate, luxur y travel today has who explains the process and story behind each
gone deeper than the experience itself. Rather, object he or she creates,” Melanie Brandman, CEO
the ultimate luxury lies in the transformational of the luxury travel communications agency The
value of the experience and how it helps travelers Brandman Agency, told Skift in 2017.
become the person they aspire to be. In other
words, the new luxury is personal fulfillment.
30 Skift Skift 31BLOCKCHAIN WILL Travel Content
Moves Into
SPARK A NEW TYPE the Ether
OF TECHNOLOGY
Blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt
Call it the Sputnik of travel. a lot of things in travel. Everything from loyalty
programs to hotel distribution has a place on
Most of us probably know the story of Sputnik the blockchain — in theory and increasingly in
RACE IN TRAVEL
and how the Soviets jostled America in 1957 by practice. One of Europe’s biggest tour operators
beating them to launch the world’s first orbiting is using a private blockchain to better track its
satellite. What followed was the costly Space hotel inventory. Airlines and various technology
Race that eventually got us to the moon. While solutions providers are looking to blockchain to
the lunar landings added little direct benefit help streamline things like aircraft maintenance.
SKIFT TAKE to humanity, the spirit and the efforts that Just about every global consultancy now has a
went into research and development spurred blockchain “practice’’ ready to help enterprises
advancements in rocket propulsion, avionics,
Some companies are betting big on blockchain's understand the technology. One small company
telecommunications, and other innovations no
bandwagon effect. Time will tell whether the new one had imagined possible. Where would Elon
called Winding Tree is aiming its sights on Priceline,
Expedia, and travel management companies
technology materializes into cheaper, better, and Musk and SpaceX be without Sputnik? by creating a decentralized repository of travel
faster travel experiences. content.
In that way, blockchain could become the travel
industry’s Space Race — completely insane yet Think of Winding Tree as a self-sustained, commis-
likely revolutionary with spin-off effects across sion-free global distribution system. Picture the
Writer: Luke Bujarski the entire ecosystem. world’s travel content such as flights and hotel
Illustrator: Bing Qing Ye
room listings floating around in the ether (the
Short of completely transforming the industr y Winding Tree blockchain), accessible free of charge
i n 2 0 1 8 , b l o c kc h a i n w i l l b e co m e a ya r d s t i c k by enterprises, individuals, and travel managers
against which travel enterprises measure their via custom-built interfaces.
tech prowess. Dabbling in blockchain will send
a message to partners and investors. It declares Blockchain is likely to disrupt corporate travel
that your company has the bandwidth to look f i r s t . I n to d ay ’ s g l o b a l e co n o my , e n te r p r i s e s
beyond today’s mundane operational challenges. spend exorbitant amounts on travel. If companies
During these early stages, having a self-proclaimed like Winding Tree can power the back end and
blockchain specialist-in-residence qualifies. promise commission-free bookings, then those
same companies will build the interfaces that
The long-run question is whether blockchain can connect them with air and hotel supply.
add real value and make global travel better,
faster, and cheaper. At this point, though, it may Leisure or unmanaged travel would come later. It
not really matter. Its mystique and disruptive boils down to market education and bulk versus
potential as the next big thing since the Internet individual purchasing. Reaching the consumer
will send the industry chasing its lofty promises. still takes marketing dollars. Arguably, airlines
Blockchain and “decentralization” is also starting and hotels still see value in paying intermediaries
to catch on as a statement against big tech. Early to spend those dollars for them. The future of
adopters will be rewarded with accolades as tokenization remains unknown. Bitcoin, Ethereum,
innovators and “knowers,” well before blockchain Bitcoin Cash, and other tokens have sprung up
actually lives up to its disruptive potential. on a regular basis. Some power and fund appli-
cations through initial coin offerings or ICOs.
Others aim to become the next global currency.
The idea that any would replace fiat currencies
like the dollar or euro or yuan is unlikely — at
least anytime soon.
32 Skift Skift 33Email
have been dubbed, are gobbling up everything forum@skift.com
During these early stages, technologists are fixated in tech. Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and
on blockchain’s disruptive “potential” rather than Microsoft now account for the majority of our
for questions and
existing applications. That’s like pouring gasoline screen time. Once symbols of the hip hoodie- sponsorship info
on a fire when it comes to momentum and hype. wearing geek counterculture, the platforms have
been turning consumers off due to issues like
Russia's meddling with elections through fake
A Self-Fulfilling news and questionable best practices in digital
Prophecy
advertising and data privacy. And that doesn’t
include the swell of digital disruption coming NEW
out of China and companies like Tencent, which
Injecting FOMO, or fear of missing out, could be owns WeChat, and Alibaba.
the biggest contribution that blockchain makes
to travel in 2018. Hype spurs interest and interest Blockchain-powered applications and currencies
spurs action. Bonny Simi, president of JetBlue could turn into the anti-establishment thing that
Technology Ventures, has said that blockchain becomes the establishment. Empathy for the
is what the Internet was in the 90s. Those that underdog is a powerful force. Decentralization
missed out on the early days of the Internet will and cryptocurrencies were born from the ashes
look to hedge their bets with blockchain. And it of the global financial crisis as a backlash against
seems like things are actually starting to get real. big banks and corporate greed.
Blockchain could become a self-fulfilling prophecy The whole idea behind blockchain and distributed
with spin-off effects tackling some of the bigger ledger tech focuses on eliminating the middleman.
friction points in travel. Distribution is a big one. No big banks, no big government manipulating
Hoteliers and airlines often gripe about their cash reser ves. The steady wave of resentment
overdependence on trusted third parties. Hotels against these entities could give blockchain a lift
hate working with intermediaries because of in 2018. As this turns into a David and Goliath story,
commissions and limited access to customer the big players will start paying more attention.
data, while airlines dislike them mostly because
rigid distribution systems of yesteryear no longer JUNE 12, 2018
work in today’s e-commerce reality. Perfect Storm SILICON VALLEY
Momentum behind blockchain will, at the very
least, motivate the two sides to think about where
Brewing
they should be cooperating — or not. That conver- The current landscape is a “perfect storm” of sorts
sation goes beyond squabbles over distribution. for a nascent technology like blockchain. Global
business is generally good. The economy is strong.
One hotel executive currently exploring blockchain Companies are hungry and willing to take risks.
also pointed to things like artificial intelligence and Technology is moving so fast that visibility is
voice search, and wondered whether blockchain limited, and executives and investors want to be
will be the digital bedrock that powers that tech. there before it happens. Taking calculated and
Where blockchain goes is still based largely on moonshot risks is how technology investments
vision and assumption. get made these days. Hotels also see an oppor-
tunity to break from the online travel agencies.
Airlines are profitable and looking for ways to
Cultural Backlash insulate themselves against the next inevitable
oil price rally. Blockchain could be a perfect thing
Against Big Tech to throw money at in 2018.
Just as blockchain hits the mainstream, the big
tech companies have built something of a bad
For more information visit
name for themselves. The “fearful five,” as they
forum.skift.com/tech
34 Skift Skift 35You can also read
